Navigation

Navigation, along with piloting, is the science of safely moving a boat from one place to another. Safe navigation includes marine chart reading, course plotting, and position finding underway. It takes into account tides and currents, an understanding of the maritime Rules of the Road, and correct interpretation of weather data. Understanding the capabilities of a specific boat in a variety of wind and sea state conditions is a vital part of safe navigation and piloting.

he better we intrinsically understand tides and tidal currents in the areas we navigate, the better we can anticipate which charted hazards are actually hazardous to us, and which are merely interesting.

Even vessels with the most austere complement of navigation electronics will usually have a depth sounder. Rarely, however, do we recognize the full utility of this unassuming tool, especially for navigation in the absence of GPS.

For a quarter of a century, GPS (Global Positioning System) and other GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite Systems) have steadfastly provided excellent time and positioning information to mariners of vessels great and small, across oceans and ponds, in all seasons and in all weathers.

Personally I have no problem going electronic-only when transiting familiar waters or inland waterways. But I love maps and charts. In fact as I typed those six preceding words, I looked up lovingly at the map of the Caribbean basin above my desk.